A Lego shop on Barcelona’s Passeig de Gràcia caught fire after a petrol bomb was thrown at it on Wednesday 11th November, Metrópoli reported. The fire occurred during the unofficial continuation of a general strike demonstration for decent housing and wages.

The shop was badly damaged and demonstrators broke its display window, according to Metrópoli. Elsewhere in the city, a group of more than 3,000 people blocked Avinguda Diagonal for much of the day, Catalan News reported, affecting movement along the avenue.

Metrópoli reported the fire at 20:07 and said the gathering was continuing after trade unions had officially ended their call to demonstrate. Its report also described vandalised streets and other incidents.

March ends officially at Plaça Catalunya

The Barcelona demonstration set off from Jardinets de Gràcia, according to news outlet Demócrata. Organisers officially called the march to an end after it reached Plaça Catalunya, Catalan News reported in an update at 20:36.

Demonstrators had arrived in the city centre in separate columns. The participants included housing organisations and trade unions, as well as groups from political parties.

Among the organisations taking part were:

  • Sindicat de Llogateres, the tenants’ union, and the Confederation of Housing Trade Unions of Catalonia.
  • Trade unions UGT, CCOO, CGT, the Intersyndical, IAC and COS.
  • Groups from the Socialist Party of Catalonia, Esquerra Republicana, the Comuns and CUP.

The strike’s demands concerned wages and access to housing, as well as purchasing power and public services, Demócrata reported. Its report described demonstrations in several Spanish cities following a day of pickets, traffic cuts and incidents at workplaces.

Organisers and police give different turnout figures

Organisers put attendance in Barcelona at about 400,000. The Guàrdia Urbana (municipal police) estimated 55,000, according to both Metrópoli and Catalan News.

Sindicat de Llogateres described the police figure as “extremely understated”, Metrópoli reported. Demócrata separately reported a police estimate of 40,000.

The estimates also differed in other Catalan cities. In Girona, police counted more than 18,000 demonstrators and organisers more than 50,000, according to Catalan News. In Lleida, organisers put turnout at about 14,000 and municipal police at 4,000.

What it means for you

  • When: Wednesday 11th November 2026, during the afternoon and evening.
  • Where: Passeig de Gràcia, Barcelona, near the Jardinets de Gràcia and Plaça Catalunya.

Sources: Metrópoli, Ajuntament de Barcelona, Catalan News.